Princess

Princess

By Amanda Sadler

This felted princess hat is sure to inspire hours of imagination.  The pattern is straightforward, the knitting simple, and the felting is so much fun.

Yarn:

Worsted weight wool.  The yarn is held doubled, so you could use two strands of the same color, or use two colors for a blended effect.  You will need two skeins.  I used Cascade 220.

Gauge:

3 sts to 1 inch.  I used a size 15 needle.  You need to use the needle that gives YOU the right gauge.

Needles:

One 16 inch circular needle and a set of double pointed needles to more or less match.  I could not find size 15 double points, so I used size 11. 

Body of Hat:

Holding yarn doubled, cast on 80 sts, and join, being careful not to twist.

Knit around and around and around, until your hat is 11 inches long.

Decreasing:

Round 1:  *Knit 14, k2tog, repeat from * around.  (75 sts remaining)

Rounds 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 35, 36, 38, and 39:  Knit around.

Round 4:  *Knit 13, k2tog, repeat from * around.  (70 sts remaining)

Round 7:  *Knit 12, k2tog, repeat from * around.  (65 sts remaining)

Round 10: *Knit 11, k2tog, repeat from * around.  (60 sts remaining)

Round 13: *Knit 10, k2tog, repeat from * around.  (55 sts remaining)

Round 16:  *Knit 9, k2tog, repeat from * around.  (50 sts remaining)

Round 19:  *Knit 8, k2tog, repeat from * around.  (45 sts remaining)

Round 22:  *Knit 7, k2tog, repeat from * around.  (40 sts remaining)

Round 25:  *Knit 6, k2tog, repeat from * around.  (35 sts remaining)

Round 28:  *Knit 5, k2tog, repeat from * around.  (30 sts remaining)

Round 31:  *Knit 4, k2tog, repeat from * around.  (25 sts remaining)

Round 34:  *Knit 3, k2tog, repeat from * around.  (20 sts remaining)

Round 37:  *Knit 2, k2tog, repeat from * around.  (15 sts remaining)

Round 40:  *Knit 1, k2tog, repeat from * around.  (10 sts remaining)

Round 41:  *K2tog, repeat from * around.  (5 sts remaining)

Finishing:

Break yarn, thread the tail onto a yarn needle, and draw through all remaining stitches.  Pull tight, and weave in ends on the wrong side.  Put the hat in a pillowcase, knot the top, and put it in the washer with a load of jeans or towels.  Check your hat often, felting could take less than one cycle, or two or three cycles.  After felting, put hat over a bowl propped upside down over a canister.  When dry, cut a tiny slit in the top, and insert a veil from the craft store.  You can sew it in, or pull in inside, and tie a knot, so that it’s removable in case you have to wash or replace the veil.